Parasites of humans: Fleas are a parasite which feed on the blood of warm blooded animals, including humans, dogs and cats.
Blood suckers: Fleas pierce the skin, inject an anti-coagulant chemical into the bloodstream of the host to prevent blood clotting.
YUCK but true: When fleas suck the blood from their host, some of the blood passes directly through their rectum in order to lay their eggs.
Tapeworms: A flea bite can cause acute irritation, infection and transfer of other parasites, including tapeworms. For irritable flea bites consult your pharmacist for an appropriate antiseptic cream or in more serious situations, your medical practitioner.
Dogs and cats: Fleas often enter a building on dogs and cats, and are commonly deposited in carpeted areas, in the garden, yard and under the building, particularly shaded sandy soil ares, on the southern side of the building (shaded areas).
Dormant in your carpets: In ideal hot humid weather, flea eggs may take only a few weeks to hatch in large numbers. In cooler times of the year, the flea eggs may lay dormant in carpets and subfloor areas for more than 12 months before hatching - generally during hot humid weather and all of a sudden, sometimes in plague proportions.
Summer holidaysand you're the HOST: A uninhabited home that has been locked up for an extended period during hot humid weather, will act as an incubator for the dormant fleas to hatch in plague proportions. It is common-place for people who own a dog or cat, to return home from an extended summer vacation to find a house full of fleas.

Professional Pest Control for FLEAS

Vacuuming of carpets: It is essential for carpets and timber floor areas be thoroughly vacuumed especially in low
traffic areas, under furniture, around edges of rooms and hallways. Concrete pathways should be thoroughly swept or vacuumed.
Insecticide treatment: In severe cases, there may be no practical alternative to insecticide treatment of likely habitat areas, particularly low traffic areas of carpeting, around the edges of timber flooring and dog or cat resting areas.
We recommend a low hazard IGR synthetic pyrethroid insecticide be applied as a light spray to such areas, and upon drying be swept into the carpet pile with a straw broom.
IGR Insect Growth Regulator is a ultra low hazard chemical that acts specifically to inhibit development of the flea at the larva stage of their life
cycle.
The flea larva is a small "grub" that lives in carpet, in cracks or joins of timber flooring and in soil areas. A readily accessible supply of organic matter, such as shed skin flakes from humans, is essential for its development. This is the critical point in the life cycle of the flea in which to attack it for maximum control effect on the infestation.
With a heavy infestation of adult fleas the affected rooms should be fumigated with a similar insecticide dispensed through a fogging machine. This will provide immediate relief (like a flea "bomb") but will not kill the larva or egg sacs. The carpets and other areas should be treated as noted above with an IGR synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.
To help prevent reinfestation we recommend the home owner regularly vacuum carpets; regularly wash your dog or cat with shampoo containing a flea control
product; and restrict access of your dog or cat to any sub-floor areas, particularly
during the humid summer months. If your dog or cat regularly plays with stray dogs or cats then the transfer of fleas eggs is virtually certain during the hot humid months of the year.

The Cost of Professional Flea Control

The cost for professional pest control for fleas will depend upon many factors, including type of insecticide used, the size of the property, the extent of infestation and ease of access to sub-floor areas. FUMAPEST uses the safer, but more expensive pyrethroid insecticides.
Expect to pay about $250 to $350 for an average size 3 bedroom home, with a small to medium garden area. Service
warranty periods may vary depending upon the circumstances and risk of reinfestation.

Ring the flea control experts: successful no-hassle flea control depends largely upon the skill of the technician, their technical training and practical experience in a wide variety of situations. Contact FUMAPEST on 1300 241 500 for a FREE quote and specifications for our professional flea control service.
Beware you may find cheaper prices for flea control, usually from companies using the cheaper solvent based pesticides in and around the home, which we do NOT recommend, especially if residents suffer asthma or bronchial ailments.
Ask for a discount if you also wish to obtain a termite inspection report to AS 3660 at the same time as flea control. If a combined service is done on the same day, the cost of such an inspection and report to AS 3660 will be discounted accordingly. REMEMBER home insurance does NOT cover termite damaged timbers in your home - click here for more detailsBe careful when selecting a pest controller - it is far too easy to get a NSW WorkCover Pest Control licence and start up a pest control business, using trainees with little knowledge or experience in flea control situations - click here for more details

Be Carefulin selecting a Pest Controller• Unfortunately - it is far too easy to get a NSW Government WorkCover issued pest control licence and start up a Pest Control business in NSW with little knowledge or experience in providing safe and effective pest control services •click here for more details.
The NSW Pest Control Licensing system is subject to National Competency Assessment guidelines. Mediocre testing can
be carried by Private Workplace Assessors (not part of TAFE system). The
so called competency assessment can be a combination of oral, written and visual
tests ie maybe 1% in writing.
Private Workplace Assessors are given
general guidelines in the National Competency Standards but there is no
set standard test or specific knowledge requirements. Once privately
assessed as "competent" then the NSW WorkCover Pest Control Licensing will issue a pest control licence to the individual. There is no published list of
Private Workplace Assessors so it is difficult to gauge the extent of the
problem.
The System is Inadequate: Some Private Assessors offer a one week course. A person so issued with a pest control licence can set up a Pest Control business (not required to register with WorkCover) and employ an unlimited number of trainees, using pesticides in people's homes without direct personal supervision.
FUMAPEST Setting the Standard in an industry plagued by fly-by-night operators, FUMAPEST Termite & Pest Control stands out as a well established pest control business with excellent reputation in the market-place.
Same Family Business•Since 1964• Termite & Pest Control Specialists •AQIS Fumigation Services